New Law Forces Russians to Report Second Passports

Failing to declare a second passport or the right to permanent residence in another country is a criminal offence in Russia under the new law, which swept through parliament in a matter of weeks.

It imposes a fine of up about $5,800 or 400 hours of community service on Russians who fail to inform the Russian authorities that they have obtained citizenship in another country.

The Russian constitution explicitly allows citizens to take a second nationality, and authorities are often aware since the question appears on passport applications.

But “the problem is that in Russia laws mean one thing on paper and in reality something completely different,” journalist Svetlana Reyter, who acquired Dutch citizenship from her husband, said in the online journal Afisha-Gorod.

Governments don't like it when you dilute the power they wield over you with a second passport. For the top six reasons why everyone in the world needs a second passport, see here.